Product Review: Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof

I recently tried Maybelline’s original Great Lash mascara for the first time and was definitely not impressed. However, I almost always wear waterproof mascara because everything seems to smudge on me. I also know waterproof mascara tends to hold a curl better and two of my chief complaints about Great Lash were that it smudged like mad and didn’t just not hold a curl, but actually uncurled my lashes, so I thought perhaps the waterproof version may cure some of the problems I had with Great Lash and decided to give it a try.*see my Cult Classics review of the original Great Lash here*

The Product

Maybelline’s waterproof version of Great Lash is supposed to provide clump-free volume, conditioning as it thickens lashes. The lash doubling waterproof formula is supposed to glide on smoothly to build great looking smudge-proof lashes. Maybelline also claims their lash building brush makes it easy to get a full lash look. Like the original Great Lash, Great Lash Waterproof comes in Maybelline’s iconic pink and green tube and has the same spoolie-type standard bristle brush as the original.

After the disaster that was the original Great Lash, I really wasn’t expecting much from Great Lash Waterproof, but I was pleasantly surprised. This mascara is nothing ground breaking or earth shattering, but it is a respectable mascara. As you can see in the before and after pictures below, it did provide some length and volume to my lashes as well as making them look darker and more bold. This certainly won’t rival a false lash look, but if you like just a little more oomph in your lashes and don’t want your eyes to scream “I’m wearing a ton of mascara!”, this could be a mascara for you.

As for the smudge-proof claim, I don’t know that any cosmetic product is truly smudge-proof, except perhaps Blinc mascara *featured here in my February Favorites*, but many are certainly smudge-resistant and this mascara is about as smudge resistant a mascara as I’ve ever found. I was actually shocked at how difficult it was to remove just that tiny swatch from my hand. I had to use makeup remover – soap and water just wouldn’t do it.

Great Lash Waterproof stayed put on my lashes all day and I’d venture to say the small amount of under-eye smudging I had at the end of the day was probably due to my eyeliner, not this mascara. It wasn’t too difficult to remove, I just had to use a few cotton swabs and my Mary Kay eye makeup remover. *also featured here in my February Favorites* It was more difficult to remove than other mascaras, but that’s the trade off when you want smudge proof.

The Skinny

Overall, this is a decent mascara. I was happy with the look it gave my lashes and the price is about the best you’ll find for a mascara, $4.44 just like the original formula. I’m not going to file this away as a favorite, but I’ll use the rest of the tube and may even repurchase or try a different version of Great Lash… just not the original washable formula again.

Do you prefer to wear waterproof mascara? Would you use a “natural look” mascara like this one? Let me know in the comments below!